Just Like Heroin: REVAMPED
by VanityWantsYou
Summary: If Naruto had known what he was getting into in the beginning, he never would've signed that damn movie contract. NARUSASU. Rewrite of Just Like Heroin.
1. Keeping it Even

**Disclaimer: I don't own it. Just this super cool story. You know, just sayin'.**

** So... I _just_ found something out the other day; that Just Like Heroin, this very fan fiction, is number one in reviews under the SasuNaru rated M category. I was so stunned by that, I couldn't believe it. I knew this story meant a lot to you guys, but I didn't realize how much. So being pretty much inspired by the love, I decided to give you all the gift of re-written chapters! Filled with more drama, more action, more comedy... and best of all, more lovin' between our two favorite boys!**

** Merry Christmas, everyone!**

** _Here's a few songs I listened to while writing this chapter._**

_**Fracx- In Your Memory**_

_**DJ Okawari- Flower Dance**_

_**Kreayshawn- Gucci Gucci**_

** Dedicated to Olivia, the absolute love of my life.**

** JUST LIKE HEROIN**

** Chapter One: Keeping it Even**

A bubble-gum haired girl leaned against the closed gates of Wal-Mart's Subway, her emerald eyes quickly scanning the rather large (and messy) eating area. Her lips lifted into a joyous, glossy smile as realization dawned upon her and she spun around so quickly she almost slipped and fell, a finger pointing at one of the front cash registers.

"Naaaaruto, guess what? Cleaning job is on _you_ tonight!" she cheered while pumping a fist in the air.

A rather tall blond pouted from his position behind register three, his unruly hair stuck up in all directions and cerulean eyes instantly going into puppy mode. Sakura almost cooed at him, as if he were a newborn who needed coddled. Poor baby hated cleaning duty, she knew that for sure, but oh well. The bum should know his baby face wouldn't work on her forever.

"But Sakura-chan," Naruto sauntered over from his station and reached out to take the girl's hand, pulling it up to his lips and placing a kiss on each knuckle, "how am I supposed to pick Silo up if I don't leave on time?"

Sakura scoffed at him, yanking her hand back and swatting at him as if he were a pesky fly. Not only did the baby face not work, but the play-boy charm didn't either. Years of built tolerance, she guessed.

"Using your son to get your way again? That's nothing new," she teased.

Ignoring the jab, Naruto whined.

"Do you know what I told him before I dropped him off this morning? I told him as soon as I picked him up, we would go to the pet store. You want to know why?" he leaned in, forehead almost touching hers and eyes wide in anticipation of her reply. He grunted when she shoved him away playfully.

"Oh, I don't know," Sakura rolled her eyes, "to get him a college loan? I get it, dummy. Just go and you can take cleaning duty for me all next week. Damn you, being able to pull the 'I have a kid I love' card."

The smile that crossed Naruto's face could put the sun to shame. With a loud 'whoop!', he pulled off his navy uniform shirt to reveal a black wife beater underneath and swung the article of clothing over his shoulder. Sakura reveled in the sight, not ashamed in the slightest that she found her friend attractive. Who didn't?

She even had a theory that anyone who met the blond would either want to fuck him or marry him.

The male had the figure of Channing Tatum, but with a little less bulk. He had Magic Mike written all over him, with his six-pack abs, strong biceps, and skin the color of burnt caramel. With a knack for always wearing tight t-shirts and low-hanging cargo shorts, Naruto was definitely a sight to behold. It was almost like meeting God. Well, not exactly like meeting God, but pretty close.

But if any one of his friends were to be asked which part of him they liked the best, everyone would give a unanimous decision: his endless blue eyes. Er, everyone except Hirota Sai, one of Naruto's closest friends. What was his favorite thing about the bright ball of sunshine? "His penis," was always his reply. Joke or not, it was still weird.

"Hey, brat," a gruff voice behind the two called. It was the store's head manager, Jiraiya; an older man with even older-looking white hair pulled back into a long ponytail. He had a thick, black binder in his grasp and stared at his employees with exhaustion. Wal-Mart was in no way a walk-in-the-park company and he was very ready to go home and pass out with a bottle of gin in one hand. "Before you rush off to pick up your little Kuma-chan, you have to sign for your holiday bonus. Forget about it?"

Naruto's eyes widened into big, blue saucers as he took the pen offered to him and signed his name in the binder quickly. Looking to the left of his signature, he saw his bonus amount and his jaw almost hit the floor. Not only had he forgotten about the bonus, but he'd forgotten how awesome it was supposed to be. Five-hundred buck-a-roos added on to his normal check of four-hundred and fifty-something... it looked like he and his son would be having the best Christmas in years.

"You look like you're going to faint!" Sakura laughed and smacked her friend on the back. "Make sure you get Silo something nice, 'kay? Now get going, it's almost eight-thirty and everything closes at nine."

Her words snapped the blond back to reality and he saluted the two of them before grabbing his bonus check and jogging to the front kiosk to clock out. He then bid his farewells to the night-shift co-workers and ran out through the grocery store entrance to his beat-up red Chevy. Unlocking the door and climbing in without hitting the neighboring car, he revved up the engine, backed up, and was out of the parking lot in a flash.

He apologized to Mother Earth as coiling smoke sputtered from his tail-pipe and mumbled a promise of getting a more environmentally friendly vehicle as soon as he could afford one. If things kept up at work, he could possibly be looking forward to a raise in the upcoming weeks _and_ having the money to get a better used car than his piece of junk. He loved Chachi (don't make fun of her name), he really did, but she looked ready to keel over any day now.

Not only that, but the apartment he and his son were currently staying in was not cutting it. Just the other day, Naruto found black mold in their bathroom. Since Silo was deathly allergic to it and maintenance didn't seem to give two shits, it looked like a new change of address would be in order.

Naruto heaved a long, drawn-out sign and ran fingers through his messy hair. Wal-Mart was definitely not the job to have if he needed to afford all of this, but without a college degree and with the economy being so terrible, he'd have to do his best with what he had. For right now, he'd focus on getting a new car so he could get to work and his son could get to school and after-care, then work on new living arrangements. Ugh, no one was joking when they said being a single, young parent was hard.

"This is what you get for whipping your dick out on the first date, Uzumaki," he grumbled to himself.

Arriving at the after-school care center ten minutes later, Naruto hopped out of his truck, slammed the door shut and jogged to the front door to let himself in. Peeking down the long hallway littered in finger-paintings, he spotted his son with a few of his friends in the toy room, all sitting together on a bright red rug while trying to put together what looked like a thousand piece puzzle.

Naruto was about to call out to get the boy's attention, but a smaller woman came up behind him and called to her little sister, waving a hand to her with a pretty smile on her face. All of the kids in the room said good-bye to their play-mate, then noticed Naruto standing in the hall. One boy nudged Silo's shoulder, whispering something to him. In an instant, the small child shot up, grabbed his back pack and ran to meet his dad with the largest grin on his face.

"Chichiue!" Silo greeted him happily.

"Sorry I'm late, kiddo. Work held me up, but we'll just go ahead and say it's all Sakura-chan's fault, okay?"

The boy laughed and grabbed his dad's hand, gripping tightly with small fingers. He looked just like his mother in all aspects, from his blueish-black hair and fair skin to his dimples and almond-shaped eyes. Even his personality was similar to his mom's. The only thing that let other people know he was Naruto's was his sky blue eyes.

"I forgive you," Silo walked hand-in-hand with Naruto to their truck and climbed in to his back car-seat with ease. While he was being buckled in, he reached up and tugged on a lock of the man's sunflower-kissed hair, smiling. "Are we still going to the pet store?"

"Yep!" Naruto replied. "You get to pick out whatever you want, just no... snakes," he cleared his throat.

Silo blinked.

"How come?" he questioned, curious.

"Just respect your father's wishes."

"But my friend has one. I think he said it was a corn snake? I kind of wanted one," the boy pressed.

"No."

"But-"

"Silo, if I let you get a snake I can't guarantee that it will live for more than one hour. I will admit that I'm deathly afraid of any slithery creatures and when a man admits to his fears that means you should respect that," Naruto tried to sound serious, but looked terribly embarrassed while doing so.

"You're weird," Silo giggled. "Fine, no snake. How about a tiger?"

"No tiger, those are illegal and I don't think you can get anything bigger than a dog in a pet store, anyway."

"Hm... a monkey?"

A sigh. "Silo, where would we keep a monkey in our apartment?"

"I'll just stick with a puppy, then," the child wiggled around in his car seat. "Hurry, the store's gonna close!"

Naruto rolled his eyes before jumping into the truck.

Kids. Sheesh.

….

…..

Standing beside a Cinnabon inside the visitor area of the Dulles International Airport was a silver-haired gentleman with a medical mask covering his face from the nose down. He was flipping through an orange book, one good eye scanning every page thoroughly, brows lifted in amusement at whatever he was reading. He was too engrossed in his literature to notice passing children pointing and staring, their mothers hushing them and telling them not to be rude.

He didn't even notice someone stop in front of him until he heard them clear their throat. Sparing a glance, the man chuckled.

"Welcome to the states, Sasuke."

"This airport is nothing like the one in Narita," the man commented with a quick glance over the crowd.

He lifted his sunglasses up to rest on the top of his raven hair, long bangs being pushed behind his ears. On his lithe frame, he wore an Emporio Armani jacket with a gray cardigan, blue wool trousers, and derby-style crock-print shoes the color of chocolate. If he was trying to attract attention, he was succeeding. Hundreds of people were looking his way and whispering. Unfortunately, he'd wanted the opposite effect.

"Exactly what we wanted," the other man's mask crinkled from a smile. "Though, your state of dress is drawing a few too many eyes. I thought the Uchiha family were masters of subtlety."

Sasuke scowled.

"Jokes aside, Kakashi, I expect that you're the only one who will know of my location for the next few weeks?"

"No one will be bothering you," Kakashi replied bemusedly. "I do, however, believe that the news of your disappearance will spread like wild fire. I can see the headlines now: _'Uchiha Sasuke, world famous actor, disappears over night'_," he held back a chuckle. "Imagine your brother's reaction."

Sasuke snorted and began his walk to the luggage belt a few feet away. He reached out and took his single black suitcase, but Kakashi pulled it away to hold it himself. He nodded his head and the raven resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"My brother knows I'll be gone, he just doesn't know where."

"Well," Kakashi began, "all I can say is that I hope you enjoy your time here. I've called Kiba and he's prepared a room for you, but he wanted me to mention that if we arrive too late we'll have to sleep in the rental car."

"I thought I was staying in a hotel," Sasuke raised a plucked brow.

"I'd informed Kiba of your stay in the U.S. and he was very happy to spend time with an old friend, so he offered up a room. I wasn't going to deny someone who seemed so... excited to see you. How often does that happen?" the joke was good-natured.

Despite the jab, the Uchiha began his walk to the parking lot. He placed his sunglasses back over his eyes to hide his face from the people around him, in case anyone outside of the airport recognized him. He'd wanted a vacation from all of the spot light and finally he was about to have one; the first in two years. He could practically feel all of the tension and stress melt from his muscles and he released a small, relieved sigh.

"I think it would be nice to stay with him, since I haven't seem him in so long."

Kakashi sped up to stay in step with the other man, continuing to smile beneath his mask.

"Now, I know this is your time off, but I think it would be best for you to think about who you'd like to co-star with you in your upcoming film. I've brought a file filled with who your brother suggests, another with who you've been looking at, and a final one with actors who've shown interest in working with you. Or _maybe _you'll find a handsome American man to fill the role while you're here?"

Sasuke snorted at his manager.

"I'm sure," he said sarcastically.

…

…

"Chichiue, the doors are locked..."

Silo tugged on the doors to the local Petsmart, but they wouldn't budge. The happy expression he'd been wearing the entire drive there slipped off of his face immediately. He was trying not to whine, but he was failing miserably, tears swelling up in his eyes. Letting go of the door handles, he turned and latched onto his father's leg, burying his face in his hip.

Naruto smoothed his hand over his boy's hair, pressing his forehead against the glass of the door to look inside. The lights were not yet off since it'd just turned nine o'clock and employees were bustling around, cleaning, restocking, and preparing the animals for the night. He knocked a few times, but no one paid him any mind. They either couldn't hear him or they were being ass holes. Naruto was leaning toward the latter of the two.

"What place closes _exactly_ at nine? Dammit," he sighed and looked down at Silo, the boy on the verge of crying. "I'm sorry, musuko (1)."

Silo sniffed quietly and wiped at his eyes. "It's okay," he mumbled, voice trembling, "we can come back some other time, right?"

The blond bent down and pulled his son into a bear hug, giving him a playful noogie.

"I'm sorry I suck as a dad," he apologized.

The little crow buried his face against the man's shoulder, then shook his head.

"Nuh-uh, you're the best."

…

…

_"Gucci Gucci Louis Louis Fendi Fendi Prada! Basic bitches wear that shit so I don't eve-" (2)_

Sasuke took one look at the ID flashing on his touch screen, tapped to accept the call and put it on speaker. Tossing a heated glare in the driver's direction, he reminded himself to do something about his ring tone later. He didn't even know how Kakashi had gotten a hold of his phone to change it in the first place.

"Hello, Inuzuka. Too excited to wait for me? I'm only ten minutes away."

His friend snorted on the other end of the line.

_"As if, Uchiha, don't flatter yourself. I'm one of those select people who __**don't**__ want in your pants."_

Sasuke smirked.

"And you're one of those select people I don't **want** in my pants. Is there a reason you're calling?"

_ "Che, same old bastard. Heh. But hey, I called to ask if you could do me a solid."_

"A what?"

Kakashi leaned over a bit while driving, "A solid is what young people call a favor these days."

Kiba laughed on the other end.

_"What the old man said. I need you to pick up some scratch feed and Ol' Roy's dog food from the Petsmart near where I live; fifty pound bags for both. Akamaru is driving me up the wall because he's hungry and I wasn't able to run out this afternoon like usual. You mind?"_

Sasuke crossed his legs and ran a thumb over the tip of his shoe, not too thrilled with the sudden errand.

"Don't you think the store will be closed? It's late."

_"I know it's closed, but it just hit nine, so it wouldn't have been closed for long. Just use your celebrity charm on whatever cute girl or flamboyant boy works there. I've seen the 'Look' in person and it's crazy effective."_

Sasuke sighed and rubbed a hand over his face.

"Text me the address and I'll log it into my phone."

_"Thanks, man. See you later."_

Sasuke hung up and patiently waited for Kiba's text, narrowing his eyes in Kakashi's direction.

"So, about my ring tone."

…

…

Lifting the upset little boy into his arms, Naruto thought of whatever he could do to cheer him up. It was getting pretty late and he had work early in the morning (not to mention Silo had school), but he couldn't just let him go to bed upset. Maybe a trip back to Wal-Mart to grab him a toy? Ice cream?

"How about we go grab a carton of ice cream from my work, huh? Any flavor you want," he suggested.

Wiping at his eyes, Silo nodded cutely. "Pumpkin ice cream?"

"We'll eat 'til we're sick," Naruto grinned and lifted the boy into the air, wiggling his fingers against his sides.

Laughing loudly, Silo put on a million-dollar smile. "Thank you, Chichiue. You're the greatest."

Naruto's heart squeezed tightly in his chest at that. He ruffled Silo's hair and carried him to the truck while naming off all the different types of ice cream he could have. Peanut butter? Double fudge brownie? Maybe even triple chocolate moose tracks? All he knew was that he wanted something unhealthy.

Opening the car door, Naruto was about to push the driver's seat forward to let Silo crawl into the back, but the high beams of a car blinded him and sent him stumbling back. Silo squeaked in his arms and gripped onto his shoulders tightly, shrieking a 'hey' rather loudly. With a couple of exaggerated blinks, Naruto managed to fix his vision a bit and eyed the sleek, black car that parked a few spaces in front of him. He was sure the driver hadn't meant to blind him, but the urge to flip him or her off didn't subside in the least.

"You okay?" Silo asked.

Naruto grumbled a 'yes' in reply, watching a raven-haired man step out of the passenger seat of the vehicle. He was lifting his sunglasses up to the top of his head while talking to the silver-haired driver who got out a moment later. The younger of the two looked like he was about ready to trample some kittens, his brows knitted together in a way Naruto was sure would leave stress lines in the future. A finger was pointing at the front doors of the pet store, the driver replying to his irritation with a hearty chuckle and a shrug of his shoulders.

Not sparing a single glance in the blond's way, the nameless brood approached the closed store and knocked until he finally received the attention of one of the associates. The small brunette that Naruto could see from his truck had the most surprised expression on her face as she ran to the door, immediately unlocking it with her set of keys and greeting her visitor with pink dusted on her cheeks.

As soon as he saw the girl mouth a 'please, come in," Naruto was holding Silo close and booking it to catch up before the door was shut behind them. The associate gave him a frightened look and stumbled back so she wouldn't get mowed over if he couldn't stop in time. He was sure he looked like he was ready to stab someone, but he hoped the fact that he was holding a small child in his arms made them perceive him as less of a threat. But, you know, it could also have the opposite effect.

"Excuse me!" he skid to a stop beside the pale-skinned man and grinned in apology when two startled, obsidian eyes flashed to him. "I was knocking just a few minutes ago and I don't think anyone heard me, but I promised my son that I'd let him pick out a -"

"I'm very sorry, sir, but we're currently closed," the brunette tutted quickly, cutting him off.

"Oh, I'm _sorry_, but I'm pretty sure you let this dude in even though you're closed," Naruto pointed beside him.

Said 'dude' tossed him a sour look. Naruto only continued on.

"Please let me in for, like, five minutes if you're letting this guy in too," he pleaded.

"I want a kitten," Silo piped up suddenly, wearing an adorable smile and clutching onto his dad's shirt.

"Sure, musuko, you can have one as soon as this nice lady lets us in," Naruto flashed his own brilliant smile, "right, beautiful?" he tried on his charm and the man beside him almost- ALMOST- rolled his eyes.

The employee was about to speak before the nameless man beat her to it.

"Let him in; he's with me."

Two sets of eyes stared at him.

Naruto's smile stretched from ear to ear, cerulean eyes sparkling under the store's florescent lighting.

"What, um, he said," he let his son down and watched him run inside excitedly, the kid scanning every nook and cranny for wherever they held the adoptable cats.

"Er, right. If you need need any help, I'll be behind a register," the worker sounded exhausted, sending a glare in the father's direction. She let her mood slip away for a split second, though, to wink at the raven before heading to the front of the store, explaining the situation with another co-worker who looked a bit baffled.

"Thank you so much," Naruto nodded his head in his savior's direction. "The name's Naruto."

"Charmed," Sasuke's rich voice spoke in reply, a smirk reaching his lips. "O namae wa Sasuke desu."

"Oh ho! Anotha brotha from Japan," Naruto laughed. "Sorry, but my Japanese is a little rusty; I haven't been back there in years. You know, as soon as I saw you I pegged you as a Kyouya for some reason... Sasuke fits you much better, though."

Sasuke lifted his brows.

"I would hope so, it _is_ my name."

"Chichiue!" Silo cried, jumping up and down at the end of an aisle. "Chichiue, come here! I found the kitty I want!"

"Coming!" Naruto called back before smiling again at Sasuke. "I really appreciate you helping me out; I owe you one. Drop by the Guilford Drive Wal-Mart some time and I'll hook you up with a little somethin' somethin'," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively before saluting and heading off in the direction of his impatient son.

"Interesting," Sasuke mumbled to himself while finally beginning his search for dog food and chicken feed. "I could be wrong, but I believe I was propositioned by a complete stranger."

Glancing to his left once he made it to the final aisle of the store, the man spotted poultry feed on sale and stooped down to hoist it over his shoulder. He was definitely not a body builder in any way, but he had enough muscle to carry both of the bags he needed with only a minor grimace. Walking back three more aisles, he noticed the dog food he'd missed and scanned all of the products before lifting an Ol Roy's 50 pound sack onto his other shoulder, his arms straining a bit as he moved to the open register. The brunette there gave him a sugary sweet smile and she happily scanned his bags while complimenting him on his strength.

"The total is $24.58," the cashier cooed, obviously lovestruck. She batted mascara-thickened eyelashes at him.

Sasuke silently cursed his lack of free hands at the moment, but before he could toss one of the bags onto the conveyer belt to pull out his wallet, a tanned hand tossed two crumbled up bills onto the metal bagging area. He looked behind him and saw Naruto standing there with a dopey grin on his face.

"Now we're even," he said while placing cat food, cat toys, a crate, and litter onto the conveyer belt.

The raven contained a brief upturn of lips, nodding his head instead.

"Thank you," he watched as the blond's son held his new cat in his arms, practically beaming, "and I hope you have fun with your new pet."

Silo blinked and stared up at the much taller adult with big, blue eyes. He grinned, exactly like his dad.

"I will!"

Sasuke told the employee to toss his receipt in the trash, but as he went to exit the store he saw her tuck it in her pocket. He forbid himself from imagining what she was going to do with it, past experiences having taught him a lesson or two. Yawning silently, he stepped out into the warm darkness and was met by a patiently waiting Kakashi, the man standing by the sliding doors with outstretched arms. Not needing to be told twice, Sasuke dropped one bag from his shoulder and let Kakashi take it.

"I saw what you did for that young man and his son. How unlike you," Kakashi teased.

"I'm too tired to deal with you right now," Sasuke grumbled. "Let's just get to Kiba's."

Kakashi chuckled as they headed to their rental car, popping the trunk with his set of keys.

"Yes, sir."

To be continued...

**(1)- Musuko means son in Japanese.**

**(2)- This is totally Sasuke's song. Artist and song name is in the author's note above.**

** Alright, so in addition to my author's note, I'm going to just mention some stuff down here for those of you interested. I'm not just "fixing up" these chapters, I'm actually planning on doing some re-writing to make everything flow a little better and to keep out unimportant information and sentences that just have no business being there lol. I'm sure you've noticed that most of this chapter was completely re-written, with majority of the useless crap chopped out. If you have any suggestions on what you'd like to see taken out or added in, let me know in a review or PM me. Either works! **

** Thank you and review!**


	2. Mr A-List Celebrity

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

** I'm trying to type as many chapters beforehand as possible, so that you all don't have to wait as long for updates. That was my strategy for the original version of this fic, up until chapter five or so. Then I just magically threw a chapter out almost every day. It was crazy what I did back in high school, I wish I still had all that extra time on my hands now!**

** In this chapter, I thought I'd enlighten you all on how hard it is to be as beautiful as Sasuke, because it's pretty damn hard.**

_**Recommended song for today!**_

**Sungha Jung- That XX (Gdragon cover)**

** Again, dedicated to Olivia. As South Park once said "she is my muse, my flame."**

** JUST LIKE HEROIN**

** Chapter Two: Mr. A-List Celebrity**

A loud beeping broke the wondrous silence in the Uzumaki household—apartment, whatever you wanted to call it. Two lumps, one big and one small, wiggled simultaneously underneath a cream-colored bed sheet, comforter having already been kicked onto the floor at some point during the night. Silo's new cat, a two-year-old blue calico named Moscow (1), was curled up on a pile of dirty clothes by the open bedroom door. Her ears shifted at the alarm, but her eyes remained closed, a whiskered lip twitching in half-slumber.

The biggest of the two lumps squirmed rather violently before a tan arm reached out to slam down on the clock, effectively silencing the annoying electronic device. There was a groan, followed by a drawn-out yawn. Sheets shifted to reveal a messy mop of golden hair and blue eyes at half mast. The man sat up and popped his neck while reaching over to shake the smaller boy under the sheet.

"Silo, it's time to get u-u-uuuuup," he couldn't stop the yawn, eyes crinkling.

The small boy popped his head out from under the covers with bright eyes, ready to start the day. He crawled out of bed and bounced over to Moscow, lifting her up and holding her as if he were cradling an infant. The feline blinked up at him while purring happily and Naruto watched the two with a warm smile on his face.

He was so happy Sasuke managed to get them into the pet store. Silo _adored_ his new kitty companion, not leaving her behind for anything, even to go to the bathroom. The cat didn't seem to mind either, her face always set in an 'I love you, I love you, I love you!" expression. The two looked destined for each other.

"Chichiue, can we have pancakes for breakfast?" Silo asked, playing with Moscow's paws.

"Yessir, " Naruto rubbed at his tired eyes and climbed out of bed, his boxers hanging low on his hips. Apologizing to no one but his empty bedroom (since Silo had ran out already without notice), he tugged up on the silky material and trudged down the hallway, past his son who was brushing his teeth in the bathroom, and into the surprisingly clean kitchen.

Listening to the usual sounds of Silo getting ready for school, Naruto began to cook. As he went about grabbing a skillet and mixing bowl, a thought occurred to him and he straightened up, brows scrunching together in concentration.

Why exactly did that store associate let Sasuke in after hours? She'd looked severely smitten with him, but he was positive the dark-haired man wasn't the least bit interested, so they couldn't be dating. Theories raced through his head, but the best one he could come up with was that Sasuke was a celebrity stopping by for an extremely uncalled for visit.

"Hah," he got a good chuckle out of that, "and one day Sai will confess his undying love to you. Right. You should _not_ even try to use your brain so early in the morning, Uzumaki."

"Chichiue?" Silo broke him out of his thoughts.

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

Naruto puckered his lips, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Do you need my permission to ask me something? Is this communist Russia?"

"Huh?"

"Nothing, nothing. I'm just being a silly grown-up."

Silo had Moscow in his arms, but he bent down to let her go before he spoke again. She rubbed against his legs lovingly, then bounced to the kitchen to eat some of her wet cat food. With a pout, the child fiddled with the hem of his t-shirt and wiggled his toes inside of his worn-out sneakers. It was a nervous habit of his: squirming.

"This Tuesday, moms are supposed to take their sons to work with them..." he trailed off, eyes burning holes into the kitchen's linoleum. "Do you think I can go with you instead? Since Okasan is..." he refused to finish.

The arm that was holding the flipping spatula lowered, Naruto's suspicious look instantly melting away.

"You know I'd love to take you to work with me, kiddo, but it just wouldn't be the same. You know?" he scratched at the back of his head, feeling terrible for his rejection. "I don't want you to be upset with me; I don't even think your teachers would let me take you, since I'm not your mom."

Silo blinked a few times and Naruto's heart throbbed. He knew when his little boy was holding back tears.

"It's okay, I understand," the crow mumbled.

"Some day, you're going to have a mom who loves you with all of her heart," Naruto continued to cook, finishing up the last of the pancakes and placing them on a red plate. Carrying them over to the table, he pulled out a chair and motioned for Silo to sit down. "You know what? She'll absolutely _love_ taking you to work, too, so that she can show you off to all of her co-workers."

Silo smiled at that, cheering up a bit. He took the offered fork from his dad and dug in, squealing in delight.

"When am I gon' get a new Okasan?" he asked with chewed up pancake in his mouth.

Looking up in thought, Naruto tapped his chin.

"Hm, I don't know. I haven't even thought about dating anyone right now."

…

...

While plucking his eyebrows, Sasuke sneezed.

"Catching a cold?" Kakashi asked from his spot on the neatly made guest bed. He was flipping through a farming magazine while the raven was getting ready for the day, needing anything he could find to keep his mind off of how long it was taking. It was something he should have been used to, though. He'd worked alongside three Uchiha's in his lifetime and two out of the three were narcissistic beyond belief.

"No, there's just too much dust in here. Kiba probably doesn't clean it very often," he commented.

"I heard that, ass hole, and I clean in there almost every day so shut your mouth," Kiba waltzed into the guest room, leaning his body against the door frame to the bathroom so he could glare at the other man. His coffee colored hair was stuck to his jawline and neck with sweat , his red tribal tattoos on both cheeks barely noticeable because of how flushed his face was. He looked like he'd been running a marathon.

"You look terrible," Sasuke smirked, still tweezing his brows.

"Not everyone can look as fabulous as you, princess," Kiba retorted while reaching for the hand towel hanging by the sink, not apologizing when he elbowed Sasuke in the chest rather harshly. He rubbed at his face then at the nape of his neck, tilting his head back. "Is there a reason you're getting all dolled up, Honey Boo Boo?"

Kakashi chuckled in the other room.

Sasuke ignored the remark, sitting the tweezers on the bathroom counter and crossing his legs. He reached down and rummaged through a leather bag by his feet, then pulled out a bottle of facial cleanser, a small tub of skin moisturizer, and wax strips. Kiba's lip twitched.

"I do this every day, whether I go out or not. Is there a problem?"

Kiba snorted on laughter.

"Do you rub that green shit on your face and put cucumber slices on your eyelids too?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, popping open his facial cleanser to squirt it on his hands. Rubbing his palms together, he smeared it along his forehead and cheeks.

"Don't you have animals to tend to, Inuzuka? I'm busy."

"Oh, believe me, I'll be back outside soon enough. I just can't understand how any guy can spend so long on his appearance," Kiba ran a hand through his hair. "I mean, when I wake up, I wash my face, brush my teeth, shave if I need to... and that's about it. I don't even wash my balls unless I have a girl coming over."

Sasuke actually smiled at that one, rubbing cleanser onto his fair skin.

"You and I are very different, let's just say that."

"You can say that again. Oh, before I forget!" Kiba smacked his hand on the door frame for emphasis. "Kakashi told me that you'd probably be doing auditions for whatever homoerotic movie you're starring in next, so I offered up my place to host 'em. Er, as long as no dick touching goes on. That okay with you?"

"If you don't mind. It will only be a few people, if I even find anyone worth auditioning around here."

"Oh man, there's this guy I know who does these awesome YouTube videos with his friends. Reminds me of a young George Clooney," Kiba pulled his cell phone out of his back pocket and began fooling around with it, trying to find something. "Man, my internet sucks out here... Well, whatever. His channel name is NoodleKid, look him up later. I gotta head back outside before Akamaru decides to run off."

Kakashi watched him leave, then turned to say something to Sasuke, stopping short when he noticed the Uchiha applying lip balm while ruffling his bangs with his fingers and batting his lashes in the mirror.

Sasuke caught him staring.

"If you don't have anything kind to say, then leave."

Kakashi just sighed and stood up, leaving the magazine on the bed as he left the guest room.

…

...

"Good morning," Sai greeted his gathered group of coworkers with a friendly smile.

"G'morning, Sai!" Sakura replied cheerfully, waving at him from behind a shorter girl with pale eyes. "G'morning, Naruto!"

Sai turned to look over his shoulder, watching said blond run up behind him with his uniform shirt slung over his arm. For some reason, he never liked coming in or leaving work with his navy blue shirt on, but Sai didn't mind in the least because that meant he got a few minutes to enjoy the view. Clearing his throat, Sai held out a fist, which received an enthusiastic bump from Naruto.

"Yo!" Naruto greeted everyone, wiping at his sweaty brow with his forearm. "What are you all doing here at the same time? That never happens. It's like 'Children of the Corn'"

Hinata, the worker with the pale eyes, blushed, tapping her pointer fingers together in a nervous gesture. Her short black hair fell around her ears as she looked down at her sneakers.

"I-I have a doctor's appointment later, so I'm m-making up the hours now," she answered with a timid smile.

"The beautiful birds outside of my bedroom window awoke me to this glorious day, singing 'Lee, Lee! Wake up and enjoy what wonderful youth you have!', so here I am," a thin boy with a bowl cut and thick eyebrows bounced on his feet, smiling like his answer was a completely sane one.

Sakura stared at Lee and made a face, before turning her attention back to Naruto.

"There's a new movie out that I want to get before it's sold out," she started. "Sai is going to be grabbing me a copy from the back right now, aren't you Sai?" she tilted her head to the side cutely and blinked soft, emerald eyes in the direction of the electronics associate.

"Of course," Sai answered, "anything for you," he cooed. Sakura smacked his arm.

"Come on, my shift starts in fifteen," the pink-haired employee tugged Sai by the hand, gesturing for Naruto to follow. "I'm so excited, I heard the movie was _really_ good," she began to gush as they made their way toward the back of the store. Her grip tightened on Sai's hand. "Oh boy, what I would give to plant a big kiss right on Uchiha Sasuke's wonderful lips..." she squealed.

"Sasuke?" Naruto piped up. "I met a Sasuke last night when I took Silo to the pet store."

"I doubt it was him. What would an A-list celebrity be doing in Frederick, Maryland of all places?"

"I don't know, but he was pretty good looking for a guy," Naruto thought back on the previous night. "He had on an expensive suit, too. Not businessman-like, but... movie star-like."

Sai frowned at the comment and Naruto took notice.

"Aw, don't be jealous! You're the best looking guy out there!" the blond beamed, ruffling his friend's hair.

"Look who it is," their manager, Jiraiya, chuckled from his spot behind the electronics counter. "All three of you here at one time? This must be karma for finishing off my wife's last bottle of vodka without telling her."

"Oh shush," Sakura put her hands on her hips. "Since Sai's not clocked in, do you think you could grab me a copy of _Narita Heights_? I want it by my register, so I can look at Sasuke's gorgeous face all day..." she sighed dreamily.

"Eh, sure, kid," Jiraiya took out a set of keys from his back pocket and headed toward the stock room, rolling his eyes at Sakura's excited giggle behind him. Women. No matter what day in age it was, they were always the same.

"So what does this Sasuke guy you're so in love with look like?" Naruto asked, still feeling a bit curious.

Sakura put on a lecherous smile then.

"He's _delicious_. He has beautiful, creamy skin, silky black hair, a chocolatey deep voice... I swear I had an orgasm once just listening to him talk."

Sai made a disgusted face while Naruto grinned.

"Sakura, I'm pretty sure that's the guy I met last night."

"No way, I don't believe you," the girl crossed her arms.

"_Trust me_, that's the guy."

"Did you have an orgasm listening to him talk, too?" Sai entered in curiously, his voice a bit strained.

"Oh yeah," Naruto laughed. "Like, five times."

"Sorry to butt in," Jiraiya returned and tucked his keys back into his pocket, "but here's your chick-flick, Pinky Pie," he held out a DVD case to the beaming pink-haired associate and she gladly took it, lifting it up for Naruto to see.

"Is this the guy you saw?" she asked, disbelief in her voice.

All it took was one quick glance at the cover and Naruto crossed his arms, whistling low and laughing.

"Oh boy. Sakura-chan, what would you do for me if I got you an autograph?"

…

...

Naruto groaned inwardly, hoping his day would speed up and come to an end. Now, he usually never had a complaint about his job (other than that he'd like to be able to legally punch a few people for being creepers), but his head was starting to pound and he had a feeling in his stomach similar to a baby kicking. He wasn't one to let sickness affect him, so he just continued on with his work with a huge smile on his face and a gleeful tinge to his voice.

Unfortunately, he was getting worn down quick. Sweat was prickling on his brow just as the clock by the front customer restrooms struck six. Only two more hours and he'd be able to collapse in his bed and pass out. Though, anyone who has ever been sick on the job can say those two hours were going to be pure _hell_.

The customers weren't helping with his dilemma either, none of them interesting enough to keep his mind off of how shitty he felt. An older woman fumbled with her wallet across from him, mumbling something about her bank card in a thick Polish accent. He wasn't paying the least but of attention to her, his blue eyes staring longingly at the slushy machine churning icy goodness in Subway.

"Credit, please."

Blinking, Naruto tapped a finger onto his screen and apologized to the woman for spacing out. She didn't say anything as she put the last of her groceries in her cart and headed out, one of the cart's wheels squealing loudly as she went. He turned, once again, to stare at the slushy machine. It was practically screaming at him to have a cup and he was too busy debating if he wanted cherry or coca-cola to notice the few items being dumped onto his conveyer belt.

"You look like you don't want to be here," a deep voice drew Naruto back to the real world.

Sasuke stood across from him, wearing a pair of form-fitting denim jeans and a short-sleeve v-neck the color of rusted metal. Casual clothes looked good on him, Naruto noted, and he even leaned forward to look at the raven's shoes over the bagging area. He grinned as he spotted the cowboy boots. There was no way those were his; he'd bet his life on it.

"This is what I get for only packing dress shoes," the Uchiha joked.

Naruto choked on a laugh.

"They wouldn't be so bad if they didn't have those sequin hearts on the side," he sniggered. "You manage to pull it off, though."

Naruto went to scan Sasuke's items, but stopped dead when he saw what they were. He tossed a hesitant look in the man's direction, but then grinned cheekily. He scanned both the lube and rubber gloves with a flamboyant flick of his wrist.

"You dog."

Sasuke snorted, pulling his wallet out of his back pocket and flipping through his cards.

"I can assure you that they're not for anything sexual."

"Uh-huh. Your total comes to $6.54."

Sasuke pulled out his VISA and was about to slide it through the card reader, but a photo next to the register caught his eye. It was a picture of Naruto's son in swimming trunks at the pool, flexing his non-existent biceps for the camera with a dopey smile on his face and a band-aid on his cheek. Humming in thought, he turned around and picked a Christmas themed VISA gift card and handed it to the cashier.

"Put five-hundred dollars on this, please," he asked.

Not only did Naruto's eyes become wide, but so did the eyes of the few customers in line.

"Er, alright."

It shouldn't have been that much of a shock to the blond, since he was positive the other male was "big business", as Sakura had put it before their shift began. Sasuke probably had enough money do whatever the hell he wanted, so with a shrug and a few taps on his screen, the transaction was finished, two receipts were handed over, and the two items were bagged.

"You get a gift receipt and a normal receipt for the card," Naruto pointed out. "Try to hold onto the gift receipt, just in case."

"Thank you," Sasuke did a quick once-over of the slip of paper before grabbing his bag.

"Don't be a stranger," Naruto smiled. "I'm here every day other than Sundays and Wednesdays, so try and stop by for some more lube if you need it," he teased.

"Most certainly," Sasuke replied with a short chuckle of his own. "And try to get some rest, you're looking a little pale," he commented before lifting his hand in a farewell and walking in the direction of the automatic doors. But instead of exiting, he took a left and went into the Subway, disappearing into the back sitting room out of Naruto's line of sight.

Naruto really didn't know what to say about the actor, other than that he was actually very kind for someone who naturally looked like a brood. If he hadn't met him before, he was sure he'd be a bit intimidated. He definitely carried himself like a big, scary corporate CEO, with the dark suits and hard eyes.

A painful lurch in his stomach made him focus back on his job, his teeth gritting. He only had two hours left, then he could suck down all of the pepto he wanted to. Greeting his next customer in line, he began scanning and bagging their groceries, only to be interrupted by one of the Subway associates waving at him from beside his bagging area. He continued to bag, smiling at her.

"Hola, Carmen," he winked.

"Hola, sweetheart," the dark-haired, caramel-skinned beauty flushed. "I have a gift for you," she handed him the very same gift card Sasuke ordered not even five minutes ago, along with the gift receipt, a cherry slushy, and a written message on a white napkin. Taking everything from her, Naruto looked down at the perfect handwriting with his mouth open. There was _no_ way someone who was almost a complete stranger gave him a five-hundred dollar gift card.

_A close friend of mine is a single parent and I understand how difficult it is. Merry Christmas._

Naruto almost dropped the card, his fingers trembling.

"That... that charitable bastard," he grinned, eyes crinkling.

…

...

"Chichiue!" Silo jumped onto his father as soon as he entered the apartment. "Can we go see a movie?!"

Naruto groaned, rubbing at the ache just above his eyes.

"Can we do it tomorrow? I have a splitting headache and I feel like I'm going to hurl..." he grumbled, ruffling his son's hair and trudging forward to flop down on the couch. He ignored the snort from the love seat across from him, closing his eyes and sighing deeply. Silo plopped down on the floor beside him.

"Thank you for picking Silo up from day care and watching him, Baa-chan. I didn't know they were closing early tonight," he cracked one eye open and smiled tiredly at the busty blonde woman settled on his loveseat with a purring Moscow on her lap.

Tsunade, a close friend and Jiraiya's wife, lifted the feline from her lap and placed her on the floor.

"There's a bug going around," she walked over and pressed the back of her hand against the man's forehead. "All three of my grand-kids have it, but it's mostly head pain and stomach aches. Try and get some rest so you can go see that movie with Silo-chan, alright?" her bright red lips pulled up into a smile and she flicked Naruto's forehead before he could reply.

"Yes, ma'am. Drive home safe," he waved to her as she grabbed her purse from the coat rack and left. Silo was crawling onto the couch by his legs in an instant, laying his cheek against a bony knee with bright, worried eyes.

"I hope you feel better," he whispered, harsh hues of blue flashing over his skin from the muted television.

"Don't you worry, I'll be back at one-hundred percent in the morning," Naruto assured him, turning to look at the old flat screen. Silo's favorite cartoon, Adventure Time, was playing and he was curious as to why it was on mute. "This is your favorite episode, how come you're not watching it?"

Silo looked away, lips tight. He reminded Naruto of the child's mom when she was worrying over something.

"Hey there, what's wrong?"

The crow was hesitant to reply, but he eventually propped himself up on his elbows so he could face his dad.

"I told Baa-chan something... before you got here," he began quietly. "Promise me you won't hate me?"

"There's not a single thing in this world that could make me hate you, musuko."

"I..." Silo stopped himself, then breathed in, "I think I like boys."

Naruto blinked. If there was one thing he hadn't prepared himself for, it was his son telling him he was gay. That was a talk a parent had with their child when they were a teenager nearing adulthood, not when they were six going on seven. He didn't even know if someone could know their sexuality so young... but then again, he'd started flirting with girls his first day of kindergarten.

"Um," he didn't really know what to say. He didn't disapprove, he was just shocked. "I'm not mad. I'm just... absorbing."

"What does that mean?" Silo bit his lip.

"It means I'm a sponge..." he mindlessly mumbled. "Silo, you can like whoever you want because I'll love you just the same. But are you _sure_ you like boys?"

The crow pouted, pink cheeks visible even in the blue shadows of the T.V.

"There's a boy who goes to daycare with me and when I see him, I-" he stopped.

"You get butterflies in your tummy?" Naruto finished for him, sitting himself up and pulling the boy close. "I know, I know. Did I ever tell you that I knew your mom when I was your age? She was the very first girl I liked," he smiled fondly at the memory. "She used to call me names and throw toys at me, but I still got those butterflies every time I saw her."

Silo snuggled close, breathing in and shutting his eyes.

"Do you think Okasan would still love me?"

"If she found out you liked boys? Of course!" Naruto ruffled Silo's hair. "Your mom wouldn't care at all. But hey, how about this? Why don't you invite your 'friend' to come with us to the movies some time? It would be a lot more fun than going with just boring ol' me," he laughed.

His son's face reminded him of a tomato.

"I-Invite him?" he croaked, looking nervous.

"Haha! Look at you!" the blond tickled Silo's sides. "Don't get all shy!"

"S-s-stooooop!" the boy giggled, flailing around but not being able to get away. Tears sprung to his eyes as he choked on his breath, his laughter bouncing off of the apartment walls. "Lemme go!"

"Are you gonna invite him?"

"F-fine! Just lemme go!"

To be continued...

** (1)- As soon as I tried to find a name for that cat, MOSCOW lit up my mind like a 4****th**** of July show.**

** Hope you all liked the new chapter two! Silo is six instead of five, meaning Naruto is 21 instead of 20. Why would I change something so unimportant? I don't even know. I also really like the feeling between Naruto and Sasuke in this story as opposed to my others ones. There's just something strong there, even from the beginning and I absolutely love that. **

** Please remember to review!**


	3. Noodlekid

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

** I changed up quite a bit in this chapter, so I hope you like it! Let me know!**

** _Recommended songs for today!_**

** Vanderway- Early **

** Sungha Jung- Fields of Gold (Sting cover)**

** Touliver- Faded**

** Dedicated to Olivia, the woman I will _always _hold up when she does a trust fall.**

** Just Like Heroin**

**Chapter Three: NoodleKid**

Sasuke yawned for the twentieth time in the past hour, his dark eyes clouded in his barely conscious state. He wasn't normally an insomniac, especially since he kept himself to a strict sleeping schedule, but he refused to sleep until he finished up a few e-mail interviews his brother sent to him the day before his departure. One was for an entertainment magazine, another was for a film column in the Tokyo city newspaper, and the last was for a music blog; that one pertaining to his strong interest in guitar, despite his lack of skill.

The Uchiha rubbed a palm over his face tiredly, looking over at the alarm clock on his bedside table. It was already three in the morning and he'd have to be up at seven to help Kiba trim his mare's hooves, but it didn't look like he'd be hitting the sack anytime soon. He still had one more interview left and needed to send his brother an e-mail to at least let him know he was alive. If he didn't as soon as possible, there was no guarantee he wouldn't find one of Itachi's lackeys standing outside of Kiba's front door in the morning, shotgun in hand.

Itachi could find his location in a snap, but wouldn't breech Sasuke's privacy like that. Unless, of course, said baby brother didn't update him on his well-being. Sometimes, the elder sibling could be like an overbearing mother goose.

Another yawn erupted from his mouth.

He typed up a response to an interview question, sighing and honestly wondering why people needed to know about his personal life. Questions would range from his career, to his childhood, to his brother, and then to what the entire world wanted to know about: his love life. Everyone wanted to know when he would find that special "someone". He was sure people awaited his relationship status to change like they waited for the birth of the royal baby.

A little orange alert popped up on the bottom of the screen, notifying him that he'd received a message on Skype. His brows furrowed at that because he'd put himself as 'offline'. Opening his messenger window, he saw the picture of Kiba dressed as Abraham Lincoln last Halloween come up.

**Inuzuka69: **_Dont u think u need your beauty sleep?_

Sasuke snorted, typing back.

**SasukeU: **_I could say the same. I'm doing work, what about you?And how did you know I was online?_

**Inuzuka69:**___Magic. But I'm watching porn lol. Id send u a link but I know you like that gay shit ;) _

**SasukeU:** _You're disgusting. I'm closing out, don't bother me._

**Inuzuka69: **_Whatever u say princess. Remember to watch that noodlekids channel on youtube._

Sasuke happily signed off of Skype, honestly wondering why he was friends with someone like Kiba. He was shrewd, lewd, and vulgar; everything opposite of himself. But now that he thought about it, majority of his close comrades were like that. The revelation made him inwardly groan. He blamed his brother for raising him to befriend complete idiots.

A certain silver-haired nuisance with a passion for violence came to mind.

He sat hunched over his ASUS laptop, dressed in a white fruit of the loom t-shirt and a pair of navy blue boxers. The comforter to his bed was draped over his head like a nun's head piece, falling over his shoulders and back, and encircling his waist comfortably. It had been a fairly warm winter so far, but the forecast was now calling for snow and a thirty degree drop in temperature, so Sasuke was doing whatever he could to maintain his heat. For some reason, the entire Uchiha family was cursed with the inability to retain warmth.

Sasuke opened a separate tab and went to YouTube, typing 'Noodlekid' into the search bar and watched as results instantly loaded in front of him. The first result had a view of ten million, which Sasuke considered a lot for a video that looked as if it were filmed on an old flip phone. Clicking on it, he waited for it to completely load before he started it, eyes focusing on a short-haired girl mumbling something he could barely hear. He leaned close to listen.

It was like that for five minutes straight; the quiet girl awkwardly trying to play the part of a lonely waitress in some god forsaken shit hole of a town, while other people came in and out with their own horrible lines and terrible acting. Who was Noodlekid? He hadn't seen anyone worth calling a 'young George Clooney.'

But then _he_ walked into view of the camera, golden hair a little big shaggier than how he wore it now. He had on a toffee-colored business suit and wore the same smile he gave to Sasuke both times they ran across each other. Nothing the other characters had to say mattered anymore because, right at that moment, the raven felt as though the two of them had met for a reason. He was never one to believe in fate, but he did in this strange circumstance.

Because as much as Sasuke hadn't really noticed before... Naruto looked _exactly_ like how he wanted to portray the second lead role in his upcoming film.

_"What's a beautiful girl like you doing in a dump like this?"_

It was the same genuine charm that Sasuke rolled his eyes at the night before, but this time it made the youngest Uchiha dig his nails into his bare knees. Some of the best actors he knew were the ones that let their true selves bleed into their film characters and everything Naruto was doing in his terribly filmed video screamed 'this is me!'

The line he'd spoken was pretty corny and lame, but when it came from the blond's mouth, it didn't matter. He could recite a poem written by a first grader and Sasuke would sit there and listen, eyes glued to the screen. Kiba compared him to a young George Clooney, but Sasuke had no comparison to make. Naruto was Naruto.

He continued to watch on, entranced. Video after video was loaded on his laptop and by the time he felt he'd watched enough, it was going on five in the morning. He didn't even feel tired anymore.

There was a quiet knock on his door and he mumbled a 'come in', hugging his comforter tight around his shoulders. Kakashi peeked his head in.

"I heard your computer while on my way to the restroom. Having trouble sleeping?"

Sasuke shook his head.

"I was doing some work, but then got side-tracked watching a few videos Kiba wanted me to see."

Kakashi smirked in the dark room.

"Oh?"

"It would be in your best interest to stop that train of thought now," the raven frowned. "They were videos of someone he recommended for my new film. Funny thing is, he's someone I know."

"Oh?" Kakashi said again, but more out of curiosity.

"I have a favor to ask of you," Sasuke turned off his laptop and carefully closed the lid.

Kiba stood outside of the grocery entrance of Wal-Mart, his back against his old 91 coupe that was illegally parked in the fire lane. Passing people kept giving him looks, but he ignored them and kept his focus on the front doors. He'd been loitering there for a little over an hour and it was going on one o'clock. The Noodlekid should have been on his way to his car for his lunch hour and as soon as he exited those doors, Kiba would make his move.

"Speak of the devil," the farmer mumbled under his breath and pushed away from the car.

Naruto strolled outside with a pep to his step that no Wal-Mart employee should have, a huge smile on his face as if he'd just won the lottery. Most would say that was how his face normally looked, though. He didn't notice the shaggy-haired man approach him until they almost ran into each other.

"Sorry! I wasn't paying attention!" Naruto side-stepped and rubbed at the back of his head sheepishly.

"No problem, blondie. Oh hey... You wouldn't happen to be Naruto, would you?" Kiba asked.

Cerulean eyes widened owlishly and blinked.

"That would be me, yeah. And you are...?"

"The name's Kiba. I'm a friend of Sasuke's," insert toothy smile here, "he sent me here to give you a package for your kid? It's for Christmas or something."

Kiba back-stepped and spun on his heel to head toward his car. He hid his grin as Naruto eagerly (and innocently) followed behind him, and when he opened his trunk to retrieve said gift, and the bright-eyed man was beside him, he waited no longer than a second before he made his move.

He used one hand against Naruto's back to shove him forward and used a foot to kick out his legs from beneath him, sending him tumbling into the spacious trunk. With his other hand, Kiba shoved the man so hard he rolled in and slammed against the carpeted bottom with a painful grunt. No screams, no shouts; it just took three seconds to get the body in and slam the trunk lid.

Kiba looked around to make sure no one saw anything before climbing into his vehicle and turning on the engine. He could hear Naruto thumping around like a maniac in the back and he apologized silently for being a little too rough before he pulled away from the store and made his way to the main street.

"Knock it off back there!" Kiba rolled up his window.

_"What the fuck, bastard! Get me out of here right now!" _Naruto's hollering was muffled.

THUMP.

THUMP.

There was a frustrated yelp.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

Kiba turned his radio up full blast, then made a particularly sharp left at a light to stop the annoying pounding in his trunk. There was a clutter of noises and a string of loud cursing, but the thumping began again. Even with the stereo so loud it was audible and Kiba resisted the urge to pull over and beat the kid with the fire extinguisher he had behind the driver's seat.

"Five more minutes," he muttered to himself.

The rest of the short drive was just as hectic, with Naruto slamming around like a fish at the bottom of a boat and Kiba singing along terribly to country songs. It wasn't long until the cinnamon-skinned man pulled into the gravel driveway of his white farm house and he waved happily to Kakashi, who was seated on an old porch swing on the brick landing. He muted his radio and turned off his car, pushing open his door and giving a thumbs up as Kakashi walked up.

"Did he say he would come?" the silver-haired man asked.

"Er, actually, he was so excited about the offer that he came right away!" Kiba went to the trunk and popped it open. "You know I-"

He didn't get to finish because a very angry blond shot out of the trunk and connected a fist with the side of his face, sending him stumbling back with a flood of curse words falling from his lips. He nursed his swelling cheek and glared at Naruto, as if _he'd_ done everything wrong. He was about to swing, but Kakashi came between them.

"Kiba," he stated the name with a deadly calm. "Did my request to you get lost in translation somewhere? How did 'please inform Naruto-kun of the auditions this weekend' go to 'please shove Naruto-kun into your trunk against his will'?"

"Look, I'm the quick transaction type of guy," Kiba started. "Personally, I thought Noodlekid was perfect for the part, so I didn't give him a choice in the matter. The guy works at Wal-Mart for Christ's sake. So here he is," he wiggled his fingers in Naruto's direction, ignoring the venomous glare the guy was giving him.

"You abducted me in front of my work place, you dick! Because...because of some audition?.! Who the hell are you?" Naruto turned to Kakashi and sputtered. "Hey... aren't you friends with Sasuke?"

Kakashi smiled politely.

"Yes, and I apologize for what that useless boy did to you, Naruto-kun."

Kiba crossed his arms and snorted.

Naruto looked back and forth between the two, anger diffusing into confusion.

"What auditions are you guys talking about?" he asked.

Kakashi stepped forward and offered a hand to help him out of the trunk. When he received a wary look in return, he smiled once again.

"I promise I'll do a better job explaining everything to you than Kiba did."

Sasuke took a slow sip from his mug of coffee while he finished sending e-mails to the actors he'd decided to invite for the upcoming weekend's auditions. He had only four more to go and then he could finally get to proof-reading the first phase of his script. He sighed, wondering when the relaxation part of his vacation was going to happen. Most likely never, but he'd honestly realized that days ago.

He didn't bother to look up when the front door opened, his fingers working over his keyboard and his onyx eyes focused on what he was typing. There was blurred movement beside him, the sound of someone sitting down, and he still wouldn't have paid any mind if a hand hadn't been slapped down in front of him.

Sasuke jerked back and scowled, turning his infamous Uchiha glare to whoever dared to disturb him.

Naruto sat there, grinning from ear to ear like a hyena with a full belly.

"Can I have all my money in gold bars?"

Sasuke actually looked startled.

"I'm sorry?"

"You know, when I become an A-list celebrity because of this movie," Naruto continued, waving a hand around. "I want all of my money in solid gold bars."

Kakashi walked in and chuckled, leaning against the wall that connected the dining area and the living room.

"There were some... _complications_ when I'd sent Kiba out to inform Naruto-kun of the auditions-"

"Your lap dog lured me to his car and shoved me into his goddamn trunk," the blond laughed, like it was the funniest thing in the world now that it was all said and done, no murder involved.

"He what?" Sasuke clacked his teeth together painfully.

"It's fine, it's fine. Kakashi explained everything to me. But you know, Teme, you could've just called me to let me know," Naruto leaned forward to smack the Uchiha's forearm playfully. "He also told me you were up all night watching my crappy Youtube videos. I'm flattered!"

"Kakashi," the raven released a long sigh and rubbed at his temples, closing his laptop lid and promising himself he'd finish sending the e-mails later, "I'd requested for _you_ to tell him, not Kiba."

"Kiba informed me that he was a fan of Naruto-kun's and that he'd like to tell him personally, so I thought it would be alright," Kakashi scratched at his chin. "I didn't think he would shove the poor boy into the trunk of his car."

Sasuke put his attention back on the blue-eyed male across from him, noting how his face was lit up like a Christmas tree. For someone who'd been handled like smuggled drugs, he seemed pretty chipper. That's how he was, Sasuke supposed, and he grabbed a sticky note from his pile of paperwork on the kitchen table and scribbled something down. He handed it to Naruto with the faintest of smiles.

"It's on a Sunday. You'd told me that was one of your days off, correct?"

Naruto took the note and his grin turned into a warm smile.

"Yessir," he replied softly. Staring down at the scribbled time, date, and address, he slumped his shoulders. "Hey... you know... when Kakashi told me about the auditions, I really just thought about all of the good you've done for me and my son. You've helped us out a lot and I hardly even know you."

Kakashi took that as his queue to leave.

Scooting back from the table, the youngest Uchiha smirked.

"Don't get soft on me. The Naruto I know wouldn't get teary-eyed over some rich man's charity."

"Pft, bastard. The Sasuke I know wouldn't ruin my touching moment. Now we're supposed to get really close and become the best of friends," Naruto's eyes glittered. "Or maybe fall in love?"

Sasuke's eyebrows shot up at that.

"Aren't you straight?"

"Yeah, but I used to fool around with Sai in high school," the blond shrugged, leaning back comfortably.

"And you just assume I'm gay?" Sasuke crossed his legs.

Naruto only smirked.

Sasuke's eye twitched. He didn't like that idiot smirking at all; not one bit.

"I'm going to ignore you now and have Kakashi take you back to work. I'm sure they're missing you terribly," the teasing tone made Naruto burst out into laughter. His snorts were infectious and Sasuke stood up from his chair with an amused chuckle bubbling from his lips.

It was strange. It normally took Sasuke years to truly warm up to someone, but there he was, laughing with Naruto after only knowing each other for under a week. There was something about the other man that made the Uchiha unafraid to open up and he was reminded of a thought he'd had the previous night.

_I might just have to believe in fate, this one single time._

"Is it okay if I play hookey and chill here until I need to pick up Silo?" Naruto asked, getting up from his own chair and scooting it under the table with his foot.

"Why?"

The blond bit his bottom lip for a second, then grinned like always.

"I'm having too much fun."

Sasuke didn't say anything for a moment, but then snorted and walked into the kitchen so he could get to the door that led to the huge backyard. He wasn't the idiot's mom, he couldn't force him to go back to work if he didn't want to.

"Follow me, I'll show you around the farm," the raven looked over his shoulder. "I think you'd like the goats."

Naruto's eyes widened.

"Goats? Sounds good to me! Show me the way, Sasayan!"

"If you call me that again, I'm rescinding the invitation for this weekend."

"Aw, but Sasayaaaaan!"

"Hn. Knock it off, dobe."

"Teme!"

**I purposely made the later part of the chapter mostly dialogue than description, to put more focus on Sasuke and Naruto's interactions together. They're too darn cute. **

** Remember to reply, please!**


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